Free Teaching Resources and Starter Kits for Online Educators

The provided source material focuses exclusively on free educational resources, starter kits, and teaching materials for educators, particularly those teaching English online or working in primary and elementary school settings. The sources do not contain information regarding free samples, promotional offers, no-cost product trials, brand freebies, or mail-in sample programs in categories such as beauty, baby care, pet products, health, food, or household goods. Consequently, the following article details the available free teaching resources and starter kits identified in the source data.

Overview of Available Free Teaching Resources

Several platforms and individual creators offer free resources designed to assist educators. These resources range from starter kits for online English teachers to printable materials for classroom use. The primary sources of these freebies include Teach Starter, Teachers Pay Teachers, and various educational blogs.

Teach Starter

Teach Starter is a significant provider of teaching resources. According to the source material, the platform offers hundreds of free downloadable resources, including posters, worksheets, classroom games, and props. These resources are intended to ensure classrooms are fun and engaging. The company began as a small project where resources were sent out via a free monthly email to a subscriber base. By 2013, the Teach Starter website was launched, offering over 200 pages of resources for a small annual membership fee. The company emphasizes creating quality, well-designed resources that children and teachers love to use.

The specific free resources available on Teach Starter include: * Sentence Starters and Activities: Resources such as "Bloom's Taxonomy Sentence Starters and Activities Posters" and "Sentence Starters for Writing Slides." * Worksheets: Various worksheet sets, including "Making Predictions Worksheet Set," "Free Volcano Worksheets," and "Topic Sentence Worksheet Pack." * Classroom Management: "Free Classroom Management Booster Pack." * Science and Math: "Free Science Booster Pack" and "Free Math Booster Pack." * Mindfulness: "Free Mindfulness Booster Pack." * Seasonal and Holiday Activities: "Scrambled Christmas Sentences Worksheet Pack" and "Sentence Editing - Thanksgiving ELA Worksheets." * Health and Safety: "Life’s a Puzzle - Pledge to Be Drug Free Activity Template" and "Drug-Free Pledge Printable Certificate."

Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT)

Teachers Pay Teachers is a marketplace where educators can share and purchase educational materials. The source data highlights a specific "Teaching English Online Starter Kit Freebie" available on this platform. This freebie is designed for teachers using companies like VIPKid, GogoKid, and Magic Ears. It provides props and materials to support learning English online and is described as part of a larger product.

Additionally, a blog post (Source [5]) lists a collection of "Story Starter Freebies" available as TpT downloads. These are organized by theme and include: * Blank Story Starter * Earth Day Story Starter * End of Year Story Starter * Fall Story Starter * Father's Day Story Starter * Halloween Story Starter * Leprechaun Story Starter * Mother's Day Story Starter * New Year's Day Story Starter * Presidents Day Story Starter * Transportation Story Starter

Online Teaching Tools and Platforms

For educators teaching English online, specific tools and platforms are recommended. Source [3] mentions "Tiny cards," an online system by Duolingo, which allows teachers to create or use existing flashcards as visual aids in online lessons. The source also notes that "Your ESL Journey" offers free printable props aimed at VIPKID teachers but suitable for young learners in general.

Virtual classroom management apps are also discussed. "Google Classroom" allows for sharing and grading assignments and integrates with other Google services. "Edmodo" is described as an all-round classroom management app that allows teachers to share content, give real-time feedback, communicate with students and parents, and set assignments.

Specific Starter Kits and Resources

The source material identifies several "starter kits" and specific resource packs tailored to different teaching needs.

Teaching English Online Starter Kit

A freebie on Teachers Pay Teachers (Source [1]) is specifically designed for teachers working with online companies such as VIPKid, GogoKid, and Magic Ears. It provides engaging and easy-to-prep resources, specifically props and materials, to enhance online English lessons.

Co-Teaching Matters 101 Starter Kit

This resource (Source [2]) is a comprehensive toolkit for general and special education teachers aiming to build effective co-teaching partnerships. It provides: * Clear Definitions & Roles: Explains what co-teaching is and the responsibilities of each teacher. * Editable Planning Sheets: Templates for lesson planning and progress tracking.

Short Vowel Starter Kit

Targeted at teaching CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words, this kit (Source [2]) includes teacher materials like explicit lesson plans and student activities to reinforce short vowel knowledge.

Teaching R Freebie

A specific freebie mentioned in Source [2] is designed to help elicit the "R" sound from students. It serves as a jumping-off point, though the source notes that a full, systematic approach to R therapy is available in a separate product.

Accessing and Using Free Resources

The sources indicate that free resources are generally accessed through direct downloads from educational platforms or via email subscriptions.

Direct Downloads: Many freebies, such as those on Teach Starter and Teachers Pay Teachers, are available for immediate download. For example, the "Story Starter Freebies" on the blog (Source [5]) are TpT downloads accessible by clicking on the corresponding picture.
Subscription Models: Some resources are distributed via email. Teach Starter initially grew its subscriber base by sending free resources through a monthly email. While the platform now operates on a membership model ("Plus Plan"), it still offers a selection of "Free Plan" resources.
Search Functions: Platforms like Teach Starter allow users to search for specific terms, such as "Sentences free resources," to find relevant materials.

Conclusion

The provided source material details a variety of free resources and starter kits specifically for educators. These include comprehensive toolkits for co-teaching and online English instruction, as well as specific materials for teaching phonics and sentence structure. Platforms such as Teach Starter and Teachers Pay Teachers serve as primary distributors of these materials, offering both free and membership-based access to educational content. The resources are designed to support teachers in creating engaging and effective learning environments, particularly in online and primary school settings.